Adjusting mechanism for recoilless rifle spotting barrel



July 23, 1963 E. M. GIZA 3,093,410

ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR RECOILLESS RIFLE SPOTTING BARREL Filed Nov. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 tjij \ fi lrr l Q, U ILL x TOR. INVEN \dd EDWARD M. GIZA BY! fi zg lg July 23, 1963 E. M. GlZA 3,098,410

ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR RECOILLESS RIFLE SPOTTING BARREL Filed Nov. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

INVENTOR EDWARD M. GIZA BY 1;. 780431015 6;. a 2 W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,098,410 ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR RECOILLESS RIFLE SPOTTING BARREL Edward M. Giza, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Nov. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 240,185 (Ilaims. (CI. 89-17) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a mechanism whereby a spotting rifle barrel may be readily adjusted in azimuth and elevation with respect to the barrel axis of the larger caliber weapon by which the smaller caliber spotter is carried. An object is to provide such a mechanism by which these adjustments may be more nearly linear. Another object is to provide such a mechanism which is better adapted to stay in adjustment during travel of the guns and during other shocks to which the pair may be subjected and especially the spotting rifle might be subjected.

The use of a spotting rifle secured to a larger caliber rifle is well over one decade old but during that time the adjustment of the spotter to have its trajectory more nearly match that of the larger gun has been difiicult, and time consuming, because after one adjustment it was frequently time consuming to return to the first adjustment again after making a second adjustment due to these adjustments being non-linear. According to this invention the adjustments for azimuth and elevation are more nearly linear, at least for the small values needed to bring the spotter trajectory into substantial match with that of the larger caliber gun. Specifically the ball and socket type bearing adjacent a breech end of the spotter has been retained in pairs of opposed wedges provided to obtain rigidity in adjustment of the spotter. A sleeve surrounding but spaced from the spotter barrel through most of its length, touches that barrel only at a midpoint by means of a pivot ring about two feet in front of the ball and socket type pivotal connection. The pairs of opposed wedges are maintained in connection with complementary wedges carried by a housing around this adjustment mechanism.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a general longitudinal side view showing a portion of the spotter secured to a portion of the larger caliber weapon, which is usually a recoilless rifle.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal and vertical section through the adjusting wedges for elevation.

FIG. 3 is a partial section view showing the device of FIG. 2 taken at 90 to the view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a transverse section on the line 44 of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 1 the larger caliber recoilless rifle A has the spotting rifle B secured thereto by front and rear brackets C and D. In the bracket D the spotting rifle is provided with the usual ball and socket hearing about which the front portion of the spotter barrel may be adjusted for bringing the bore of the spotting rifle into matching adjustment with the barrel axis of the larger gun, as is known to be necessary. The heretofore means for adjusting the spotting rifle in both elevation and azimuth has been time consuming. The mechanism within bracket C whereby this adjustment is made quicker, easier, and nearly linear is shown in FIG. 2.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 an elevation adjusting ring and an azimuth adjusting ring 11 are threaded in a housing supported by this bracket C and fixed thereto. A flange 3,098,410 Patented July 23, 1963 12 on the two pronged cylindrical support 13 carries two wedges 14 and 15 (FIG. 3) slidably adjustable on a sleeve spaced from the barrel of the spotting rifle. Stationary wedges 16 and 16a secured to the housing 17 within bracket C cooperate with the adjustable wedges 14 and 15 causing the spotter barrel B to be moved to the right or left about the pivotal ball and socket type support within bracket D of FIG. 1. A flange 18 adjusts the longitudinal position of wedges 19 and 20 (FIG. 2) for adjusting elevation of the spotter muzzle with the aid of the fixed wedges 21 and 22 secured to the housing 17 and arranged from the centers of the azimuth wedges. A sleeve 23 surrounding but spaced from the spotter barrel B is what the two pairs of adjustable wedges slide on. Retaining rings 24 and 24a retain washers 25 and 25a in position for holding flanges 18 and 12 and both pairs of wedges accurately positioned. A pivot ring 26 is formed integral with the sleeve 23 by stamping or cutting and constitutes the means by which the spotter muzzle may move up or down and right or left about the ball and socket type pivot in bracket D.

With right hand threads turning adjusting ring 10 clockwise moves wedges 19 and 20 to the left in FIG. 2 moving muzzle up. Rotating ring 10 in an opposite direction shifts the barrel B in the opposite direction. Turning ring 11 in FIG. 3 in a clockwise direction facing toward the muzzle raises barrel B about the pivot in bracket D- moving wedges 14 and 15 to the right in FIG. 3 and barrel right.

In the embodiment illustrated the wedges have a 15 slope to the axis of sleeve 23. The distance of pivot ring 26 from the pivot center of the ball and socket type support in bracket D is about 2 feet. Retaining rings 24 and 24a are split rings capable of staying in place for holding the solid washers 25 and 25a abutting flanges 18 and 12 on the pairs of wedges. When retaining rings 24 and 24a are removed, washers 25 and 25a can be Withdrawn axially of sleeve 23 and housing 17. Each of the adjusting rings 10 and 11 is provided with an inner flange long enough to insure abutting contact with the flange 18 or 12 of the pair of wedges with which it cooperates. Since the bracket C and housing may be considered fixed, it is the pairs of wedges, their flanges and sleeve which must be adjustable in adjusting the spotter barrel B in either or both elevation and azimuth.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned that the adjustments of barrel B are nearly linear and the graduations substantially uniform when placed on rings 10 and 11 or anywhere. The use of two pairs of wedges insures the barrel B being securely held in all positions of adjustment in insure rentention of accuracy in fire. This same advantage in accuracy may be said to be due to the flxety of adjustments and the absence of springs for holding the spotter less securely or the absence of opposing screws which are difiicult to adjust accurately.

I claim:

1. In a recoilless rifle having a smaller caliber spotting rifle secured thereto, a ball and socket bearing adjacent a rear portion of said spotting rifle and about which the spotting rifle is adjustable, the combination therewith of means whereby the spotting rifle may be easily and quickly adjusted with respect to the recoilless rifle in either or both azimuth and elevation in nearly linear movements with improved ability to stay in adjusted position, said improvement including adjusting means for each of azimuth and elevation including a pair of opposite wedges secured together, a flange secured to said pair of wedges, a sleeve on which said wedges are longitudinally shiftable, a threaded adjusting ring for each pair of wedges, a housing containing two pairs of opposite wedges one pair of which is in cooperation with the first mentioned pair of wedges, and a pivot ring secured within said sleeve and spacing said spotting rifle barrel from an inner surface of said sleeve in each adjusted position of said spotting rifle barrel about said ball and socket bearing.

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which said azimuth adjusting means includes a threaded adjusting ring projecting from one end of said housing and said elevation adjusting means includes a threaded adjusting ring projecting from an opposite end of said housing from the first mentioned adjusting ring. 1

3. A combination according to claim 2 in which each pair of opposite wedges is angularly spaced 90 from the other pair of opposite wedges, and said pairs of housing Wedges are integral with said housing and shaped to substantially the same angle as said pair with which they cooperate.

4. A combination according to claim 3 in which said pivot ring is integral with said sleeve.

5. A combination according to claim 4 in which said sleeve is spaced from said spotting rifle barrel except for said pivot ring whereby there is no transverse member fixed to said spotting rifle barrel and of substantial extent.

No references cited. 

1. IN A RECOILLESS RIFLE HAVING A SMALLER CALIBER SPOTTING RIFLE SECURED THERETO, A BALL AND SOCKET BEARING ADJACENT A REAR PORTION OF SAID SPOTTING RIFFLE AND ABOUT WHICH THE SPOTTING RIFLE IS ADJUSTABLE, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF MEANS WHEREBY THE SPOTTING RIFLE MAY BE EASILY AND QUICKLY ADJUSTED WITH RESPECT TO THE RECOILLESS RIFLE IN EITHER OR BOTH AZIMUTH AND ELEVATION IN NEARLY LINEAR MOVEMENTS WITH IMPROVED ABILITY TO STAY IN ADJUSTED POSITION, SAID IMPROVEMENT INCLUDING ADJUSTING MEANS FOR EACH OF AZIMUTH AND ELEVATION INCLUDING A PAIR OF OPPOSITE WEDGES SECURED TOGETHER, A FLANGE SECURED TO SAID PAIR OF WEDGES, A SLEEVE ON WHICH SAID WEDGES ARE LONGITUDINALLY SHIFTABLE, A THREADED AJUSTING RING FOR EACH PAIR OF WEDGES, A HOUSING CONTAINING TWO PAIRS OF OPPOSITE WEDGES ONE PAIR OF WHICH IS IN COOPERATION WITH THE FIRST MENTIONED PAIR OF WEDGES, AND A PIVOT RING SECURED WITHIN SAID SLEEVE AND SPACING SAID SPOTTING RIFLE BARREL FROM AN INNER SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE IN EACH ADJUSTED POSITION OF SAID SPOTTING RIFLE BARREL ABOUT SAID BALL AND SOCKET BEARING. 